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ing, and Slander against Those who never did any Injury, or gave any Provocation to the Authors of those Calumnies, unless by refusing to be of the fame unjuftifiable Principles with Themfelves. As to the other Expreffion of the Text, it will be as difficult to conceive, how great Numbers of Men among us can be faid to be a Part of the Faithful City, unless it be so far as the faithful City is become an Harlot. To confider a little particularly; this Word Faithful is us'd in feveral diftin& Significations.

In the first place it implies Loyalty, Faithfulness to our Governours, and being true to the Conftitution, both in the Church and State under which we live. And can Those be said to be fo, who are ungratefully infenfible of the Happiness they enjoy from fo Excellent a Constitution? By a moft unjustifiable Schifm separate from Church, or are for introducing New Schemes and Alterations into the State? Who, if they do Communicate with the Church, yet endeavour to enervate its Difcipline, dilute its Doctrines, undermine its Authority, betray its Intereft, and in oppofition to it upon all Occafions, defend the Caufe of the most unreasonable Set of Schifmaticks, that ever yet appear'd in the World. Has not the Power of the Church been laugh'd at, its Ministers infulted and abus'd with the utmost Spight and Malice, and with a pretended, tho' not real Contempt? Has not its Divine Institution been exploded, and its very Ordination flatly deny'd? Then with regard to the State; can Thofe be call'd Faithful in this Senfe, who tho' they may allow of a Government for fome time, as long as they think it a convenient thing, and are pleas'd to fay, It conduces to the Good of the Publick; yet have no Notion of what is call'd Duty to Governors, or of Subjection for Confcience fake; who fet up the Power of the People above that of the Prince, explode Divine Right both in Church and State, as a Thing abfurd and ridiculous in its own Nature; as if God had either no Right inherent in Him, or were incapable of delegating

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it to another. All which Tenets can proceed from no thing but from their want of Religion and Reafon, and from their not having a due Refpect even for the adorable Majesty of that High and Lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity! Can thofe be imagin'd heartily to rejoyce, and give God Thanks for the Miraculous Deliverance of this Day, who by their Words and Actions make it vifible to all the World, that they are heartily forry it ever happen'd? Or can Those be thought to do fo, whofe Day of folemn Thankfgiving is the Thirtieth of Fanuary, not the Nine and Twentieth of May? Who ju ftifie and inculcate the very fame Principles, which produc'd the Great Rebellion, and all thofe difinal Confufions from which we were this Day deliver'd? Who with unparallell'd Confidence and Prefumption (not to give it a worse Expreffion) openly deny and ridicule Those Maxims which are fundamental to the Constitution of our Government; and which no body, in any Age, except that which we are now remembring, and that in which We now Live, ever dar'd fo much as to queftion. And all this out of a Pretended Zeal for another late Deliverance, and for the prefent happy Settlement which is most shamefully affronted and difhonour'd by fo vile a Suppofition; and which We have often demonftrated to be intirely confiftent with thofe Fundamental Maxims, and with the strictest Doctrines of the Holy Scriptures : According to which, we have prov'd it not only lawful, but our Duty to fubmit to, and rejoyce in the prefent happy Settlement, fincerely, heartily, affectionately, without any Prevarication or Referve, and to defend and maintain it against all Oppofers or Pretenders whatfoever.

This unavoidably puts us in mind, of their denying and ridiculing an exprefs Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, which, upon thefe Occafions, we are particularly oblig'd to take notice of; I mean the Doctrine, That the Powers that be, are ordain'd of God; Whoever therefore refifteth the Power, refifteth the Ordinance

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of God, and They that refift shall receive to themselves Damnation. A Doctrine, which after all the Cavils that have been urg'd, and the Rage that has been exprefs'd against it, is certainly True, if the Scriptures be fo. It may perhaps have been falfly stated, and falfly prov'd, and wrong Confequences may have been drawn from it; but if That fhews it to be falfe, fcarce any Propofition in the World can be True. It does not indeed fettle, or determine the particular Laws, Forms, or Conftitutions of particular Governments, nor declare in whom each of them lodges the Supreme Power: But, in the General, Resistance to Governours from the Governed, is (without any Exception) as clearly and exprefly forbidden, as Murder in the Sixth Commandment, or Adultery in the Seventh. It feems very strange therefore, that Men fhould fo loudly and pofitively declaim against it, especially, fince it is likewife the Doctrine of the Primitive Chriftians, of the most eminent Writers in all Ages, both Divines and Lawyers, of all Churches, and all Religions, that can properly be call'd fo, particularly of our own Church; and even of the Laws of the Land. It has alfo been fufficiently prov'd from Reafon, and all the Arguments against it, both from Reafon and Scripture, have been abundantly, Confuted: We have prov'd, that it is not only True in it felf, but advantageous in its Confequences, and that to the Subjects, as well as the Governours; tending to fecure the Liberties of the former, as well as the Authority of the latter: That it is entirely confiftent and, reconcilable with the prefent happy Settlement; nay, that it is the great Support and Security of it; and that the contrary Principle, directly tends to overturn and deftroy it. However, as I faid, it is plainly the Doctrine of the Scriptures; and if it be, ought it to be made the Object of a fenfeless, dull Feft ought it to be banden? To be called a Sla bith, a Damnable, a Blasphemous Doctrine? Or rather, is it not the Height of Blafphemy to Fix fuch black and odious Epithets upon it? Certainly Men had need be very fure they are in the Right, before they C

prefume to utter fuch Expreffions; which, even if the Matter be but barely doubtful, no true Christian can hear or read without Horror. But as fuch Perfons are certainly in the Wrong; may God of his infinite Mercy give them a fight of their Guilt and Rashnefs; left, while they exprefs fo much Scorn or Rage against the Doctrine of the Holy Ghoft, as well as of our most excellent Church, thofe Words of the Prophet, the Author of my Text, fhould be apply'd to the Controverfy between the Church of England and Them, which were firft fpoken of; That between the People of Judah and Senacherib King of Affyria, The Virgin, the Daughter of Zion bath defpifed thee, and laugh'd thee to Scorn; the Daughter of Jerufalem hath fhaken her Head at Thee, whom haft thou reproach'd and blafphem’d, and against whom haft thou exalted thy Voice, and lifted up thine Eyes on High? Even against the HOLT ONE OF ISRAEL.

Men are faid to be Faithful in a fecond Senfe; when they are True and Sincere in their mutual Intercourse with one another. And was there ever fo much Deceit, Falfhood, and Treachery as now? When there are fo many, who to serve the little Interefts of this foolish World, or even to gratify the very Appetite of Tricking and Deceiving, are continually circumventing, or undermining their Neigbours; make all Wit confift in Cunning, and endeavour to laugh Truth and Probity out of Countenance. But let them endeavour it as long as they will, moft certainly, they will never be able to effect it. A Man of Vertue will always fhew his Face with Honour, while others are forc'd to hide Theirs with Shame and Confufion. And how much fo ever crafty Men may value themselves upon their hollow Hearts, double Tongues, and flippery Dealings ; it will appear to all confidering Perfons, and at laft be made manifeft to all the World, that, Cunning does not argue a Depth of Understanding, but only a Baseness and Littleness of Soul; and that an open Generosity of Temper (which at the fame time is very confiftent

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with true Prudence) is the Character of a Wife as well as of a Brave and Honeft Man.

Lastly, To be Faithful, implies being a true Believer with regard to thofe Points of Faith, which are propos'd to us in the Holy Scriptures. And have we not numbers of Men among us, who deny, and argue against the Articles of our Faith, the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, the Immortality of the Soul, if not the very Being of a God? If God has not been deny'd, He has been, and continually is, plentifully Blafphem'd, and that in the moft open and impudent manner, in Publick Conversation, in Print, in a great variety of wicked Books and Pamphlets; and the Ungodly Tenets have been propagated and difpers'd with unncommon Care and Industry, by Men who feem to have declar'd War against Heaven, and to ftand at perfect Defiance with the Almighty,

Thefe Three, which I have mention'd, are the different Significations in which this important Word Faithful is used: And it is very hard to fay, how the Perfons I have been defcribing, can be Members of the Faithful City; unless Men can be faid to be Faithful by being Difloyal; Faithful, by being Perfidious; Faithful, by being Infidels.

If thefe Things are in their own Nature extremely fhocking, We cannot help it; and tho' we be never fo cautious in the choice of our Words, they will, and indeed they ought to appear fo. And therefore, we are most unreasonably accus'd of Heat and Paffion, when we only fet them in a true Light, and display them in their proper Colours; which is abfolutely Neceffary, and our indifpenfable Duty to do, that well-meaning Perfons may be undeceived, and abhor the Tendency of fuch pernicious Principles and Practices. All Perfonal Reflections we entirely fet aside; We purposely avoid all provoking, and (as far as the Nature of the Thing will permit) even severe Expreffions. And if after all this, we must be charg❜d with Violence and want of Temper, by those who of all C 2

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